SHINING CITIES. Gender Relations and Other Issues in Urban Development of the Twenty-First Century

In the twenty-first century, the majority of people are living in cities—at least this is the credo communicated frequently. This statement has been strengthened by the “urban renaissance” that dawned at the beginning of the twenty-first century and by a globally evident increase in capital investment in urban-development projects. Such planning endeavors are conveyed to the public, the political sphere, and the media with the help of Internet platforms. The visualizations and descriptions found on such project websites are associated with promises of modernization, appeal, and economic growth—in short, with a better life.In this publication, images and texts from 12 projects planned for Europe, Africa, and Asia are surveyed critically: What do they “tell” about future life in these new urban districts? Who will live and work in these cities? Which forms of living and lifestyles are propagated? And most importantly: How do these designs relate to actual urban reality, including that of the inhabitants to whom the projects are addressed?

Written in a comprehensible way, supplemented by illustrations and photographs, this in-depth analysis sensitizes the reader to the interconnections between urban-space production and societal (gender) relations.

The
electronic version of "Shining Cities. Gender Relations and Other
Issues in Urban Development of the Twenty-First Century" by Yvonne P.
Doderer is downloadable as PDF under the terms and conditions of the Digital Peer Publishing Licence (DPPL).The text of the licence may be accessed and retrieved via Internet at